Geotextile Membrane FAQ

A Guide to Geotextile Membranes

Introduction

Geotextile Membranes can vary greatly, from colour, size, weight, material, porosity; the list is nearly endless. By reading through this brief guide we hope you will have a greater understanding of the membrane you need.

Types of Geotextile Membrane

There are two main types of geotextile: permeable and impermeable. The former will allow water to pass through whereas the latter will prevent it. Permeable membranes are then divided into woven and non-woven: woven membranes are designed for reinforcement and stabilisation, whereas non-wovens are primarily for filtration and separation.

Choosing the Correct Membrane

If you don’t want water to pass through your geotextile then you want an impermeable membrane .The most common we supply is ComLiner2000 Geomembrane, ideal for applications such as attenuation tanks, green roofs and general non-permeable use. There are also more specialised options such as gas barriers, self-adhesive membranes and fire-proof membranes and pond liners.

Alternatively, if the geotextile needs to be porous you will require a woven membrane or non-woven fleece.

The standard woven we supply is called Fastrack G90, typically designed for stabilisation and reinforcement. It is used for manège base layers, wrapping drainage, ground reinforcement, erosion control and more.

Our most popular geotextile is Multitrack NW8. This is ideal for filtration and separation installations in road construction, soakaways and attenuation tanks, weed prevention, use with EcoGrid and more.

Amongst these geotextiles, we also offer high visibility options, contamination warning membranes and higher grades of geotextile for more testing installations. We offer manège packages with joining tape and geotextile membrane for all standards.

We can offer bespoke geotextiles for specific weight loadings, size and suchlike. We also offer cutting services for the standard geotextiles described above. Please contact us for any queries. Some examples include black non-woven membrane for pond liners, green warning membrane and orange hi-vis geotextile.

Q. I’m constructing a horse ménage, which geotextile membrane should I use?
A. We offer horse ménage packages on our website which include both Fastrack G90 and Multitrack NW8. The Fastrack provides your drainage layer below the aggregate, and can also be used for wrapping land drain. The Multitrack is laid between your top finish and aggregate, preventing the layers from mixing. The NW8 is ideal for private, domestic riding arenas, but for more commercial or frequently used locations we offer other variations such as 200gsm, 300gsm and 650gsm.

Q. Is there a geotextile that will prevent weed growth but still allow my turf to grow?
A. Yes, the most suitable solution is a non-woven geotextile as it’s a tough, thermally bonded fleece. A woven membrane is a plastic mesh and can allow stronger plants to grow through it.

Q. Lots of companies recommend glue for joining geotextiles, do you supply this?
A. We do not supply the glue because it isn’t cost effective and the jointing tapes are highly effective. We also offer barbed pegs or extra reinforcement if necessary.

Q. Which jointing tape should I use with my geotextile?
A. Generally, we recommend the Single-Sided Cloth Tape for permeable membranes and have done for several years without issue. We use Double-Sided Butyl Tape for non-permeable. However, when there will be a large number of overlaps Double-Sided is more suitable.

Our highest priority is the innovation and development of new and existing products with a continued dedication to the highest standards of quality and customer service. With an ever increasing focus on environmental issues, our Research & Development Team support the launch of a growing number of new products to the industry with many products independently certified to British, European and International standards.

Alongside our standard product portfolio we have the capability and capacity to create bespoke, individual products as well as component parts. If you are interested in this service please contact one of our sales team to discuss your requirements. We also have the facilities to carry out product development and testing on your behalf. Costs for this may be applicable, but could be waived if manufactured by us and the item is purchased.

Delivery lead times for stock items are 3 to 5 working days and we offer a 1 to 2 working days express option.